License-tag carrier.



H. A. DBVLIN.

LICENSE TAG CARRIER APPLICATION FILED DEC.

Patented Feb. 10, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS H. A. DEVLIN.

LICENSE TAG CARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 5, 1911.

l 0E6fi45 Patented Feb. 10, 1914.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

l inllll If I I HENRY A. DEVLIN, 0F MIDDLETOWN' TOWNSHIP, BUCKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

LICENSE-TAG oaimma.

anemia.

Toall whom, it mag concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY A. DEVLIN, a

citizen of the United States, residing at,

in the accompanying drawing, but the important instrumentalities thereof may be varied, and so it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific arrangement' and organization shown and described as set forth in the appended claims.

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a license tag carrierembodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a perspective view of a portion thereof. Fig. 3 represents a longitudinal vertical section partly through the middle of the device. Fig. 4 represents an end view showing certain parts in a different position from Fig. 1. Fig. 5 represents an irregular transverse section on line nw Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. lshowing a modified form of ball and socket joint. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the carrier removed. Fig. 8 is a vertical section through the joint seen in Fig. 6, with portions broken away. Fig. 9 is a detail in elevation of the socket. Fig. 10 is a cross section on the line w-ae of Fig. 8. Fig. 11

. is a bottom plan of the clamp and box seen in Fig. 6.

Similar letters of reference indicate corres onding parts in the figures.

eferring to the drawings :A designates an arm on one end of which is the clamp B by which the device may be attached to a proper member of a vehicle. The arm is split or divided as is also the clamp B, and the sections or division of the arm are connected with the ends of the clamp B, the sections of said arm thus being resilient in their nature. The end of each section opposite to the clamp has an enlargement or head 0 thereon, the same being also split or divided, and the inner faces of the sectional Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 5, 1911.

- Patented Feb. 10, 1914. Serial No. 663,987.

head are recessed in somewhat semi-spherical form, producing the socket D in which is contained the spherical head E, forming together a ball and socket joint. Connected with and extending angularly from said head is the reduced neck or limb F which joins the center of the bar G from which a license tag is suspended and consequently carried by the same. The outer end of each enlargement C is cut away forming the angularly shaped throat H which is in communication with said socket, the upper end of the vertical portion of said throat being deepened forming the circular recess J, and the rear end of the lower horizontal portion of said throat having an angular abutment K thereon.

Intermediate of the limb F andthe bar G and joining said members is the transversely extending shoulder L which in one of its directions is of slightly less width than the throat H, see Fig. 5, and in its other direction is of greater width than said throat so as to overlap the walls of the recess J, see Fig. 4.

Passing transversely through the enlargements C and projected across the outerside of the limb F is the screw M which engages with the wall of said neck and thus as one end of the shoulder L is seated against the abutment K, see Fig. 3, outward motion of said neck is prevented as is also the turning of the ball. E when as a result the bar G is held firmly and prevented from changing its position, swinging and rattling. Furthermore, the sections of the arms A have fitted to them the screw N which serves to close said sections and cause the walls of the socket D to embrace tightly the ball E and so render the latter thoroughly incapable of rotation in its socket.

The operation is as follows :The tag iscarried on the bar G and exhibits one of its faces with a certain license number thereon, it being seen that said bar remains comparatively immovable in its suspension from the arm C, this being due to the controlled nature of the ball in its socket. When it is desired to display another license number as for instance when the vehicle enters another State, county, territory, etc.,' the screw N is loosened, and the screw M sufficiently removed so as to clear the limb F. Then the bar G is raised, the ball turning in its socket when the neck rises in the throat H making a quarter turn. The shoulder L follows said neck but on the exterior of 'the enlargements C. G. Then the bar is rotated a half-turn when said shoulder rides on the frontof the enlargements as a guide. 5 Then the bar is lowered, the shoulder and neck following the same when the neck assumes its vertical position in the upper part of the throat Hand the shoulder assumes a horizontal position in the lower part of the throat when it comes to a stop against the abutment K this again setting the bar in operative position excepting that the bar has been reversed and with it the tag, the latter then presenting its other number to view. The screws N, M. are again rotated, the screw N clamping the sections of the 7 arm A, and'thscrew M engaging with the outer wall of the neck as before, when the ball is again embraced by its socket and renderedimmovable, the effect of which on the bar G is evident.

in the present case, i employ two tags for the diiierent licensesand place them on opposite sides of the bar G, they bein firmly held on the latter by the screws which are passed through slots Q, in said 4 bar and tightened by the thumb nuts It so that the tags will be clamped to the bar by said nuts and the heads S of said nuts.

in Figs. 6 to 11 inclusive, 1 show another form of a ball and socket joint composed of the members as follows z-The socket C has a vertical slot H"in its wall and said socket is movably fitted in the box C'- which is cast with or otherwise connected with the arm A. Rising from said box is the screw M which passes freely through the top of said box and is provided with the nuts M M which may be jammed one on the other and so tightened on said box so as to force the socket upwardly against the ball and clamp, the same while also raising the polygonal shoulder L against the base of the box so as to prevent any rotation of the ball and consequently of said bar or carrier G in either of its adjusted position. When the nuts are loosened, the carrier G may be raised, rotated and so reversed after which it may be lowered and clamped substantially in a manner similar to that hereinbefore set forth.-

Having thus described my invention what i claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is I 1. An arm attachable to a vehicle, a bar from which a license tag may be suspended, a ball and socket connection between said bar arm, the socket member of said connection having an angularly-shaped vertical throat, and the ball member having a limb connect ,g said bar and ball and adapted to g a l throat to occupy a vertical or horizontal pcsition therein the limb being rotatable w izcntal position LG prevent rota- 2. An arm attachable to a vehicle and having a socket, a ball mounted in said socket, a carrier for a tag of the character stated, said arm having an angularly shaped throat in communication with said socket, a limb intermediate said carrier and ball to swing and turn in said throat for reversal of the tag, there being a shoulder intermediate said carrier and limb, and said throat, shoulder and limb being cooperatively proportioned to allow the limb to rotate in the throat when in one position and held from rotation therein when in a predetermined position at right angles to the first-named position.

3. An arm attachable to a vehicle and having a socket communicating with vertical throat, a ball mounted in said socket, a tag carrier provided with a shoulder of greater width in one direction than said throat; and in the other direction of width than said throat, a limb connect the carrier and ball and adapted to evil in said throat, said shoulder being diate said carrier and limb, where re latter is held against rotation when iion position and permitted to rotate when swung into a different position, said ball and socket forming a ball bearing support for said carrier, and means for clamping the ball and socket members together. a

4. An arm attachable t'o-a vehicle, said arm having a' socket, a ball having its bearing in said socket and rotatable therein, a reversible carrier for a tag, a limb connecting said carrier and ball, there being a shoulder intermediate said limb and carrier, the socket communicating with a vertical throat in said arm in the upper forward portion of which said limb ma be rotated, and an angular abutment at t e rear of its lower portion, said limb being of greater length 7 than the depth of the throat in one direction, the depth of the threat in a direction at a right angle to said first-named direction being greater than the length of the limb and said shoulder having a width in one direction less than that of the t oat and in its other direction a width than said throat whereby the be held outside of the three of the limb and within it right angles to the firstthe limb, said limb being of the greater to the depth 0 engageable limb is its second p0 Lee-eats 5. A divided arm, means for attaching the same to a vehicle, said arm having a socket in one end and a throat communicat ing therewith, a 'ball mounted in said socket, means for closing said arm and tightening the wall of said socket on the ball, a carrier for a tag, the same being connected with said ball, the connecting means between the carrier and ball being adapted to be swung to diflerent positions in said throat when the wall of the socket is not tightened on the ball, and to be rotated in one of said positions, and a screw in the socket member and extending across the throat for limiting the swinging of the carrier.

6. i divided arm, means for attaching the same to a vehicle, said arm having a head in which is a socket con'imunicatmg with a vertical throat, a ball mounted in said socket, means for closing said arm and tightening the wall of said socket on said ball, a reversible carrier for a tag, said can rier being provided with a limb adapted to occupy different positions in said throat, and to be rotated in one of said positions when the wall of the socket is not tightened on the ball, said limb carried by said ball, and an auxiliary screw carried by the head and engageable with said limb aiding to prevent turning of the ball, and cooperating means for preventing rotation of the carrier when the limb is in another predetermined position in said socket.

7 A divided'arm, means for attaching the same to a vehicle, a socket in said arm communicating with a vertical throat, a ball mounted in said. socket, means for closing said arm and tightening the hold of said socket on said ball, a reversible carrier for a tag of the character stated, said carrier being provided with a limb connecting said carrier and ball and adapted to swing in said throat, said carrier having a shoulder adapted to lie in said throat when the limb is in a vertical position. in said throat, an auxiliaryv screw on said arm and engagea'ble with said limb to prevent outward swinging of the latter, and an abutment on said arm against which said shoulder is adapted to be seated, said limb being thereby held from rotation when in a vertical position in the throat.

8. A device for the purpose described comprising a head with a vertical and a horizontai face and having a socket and a throat communicating therewith and opening outward in the horizontal face of the head and the vertical face of the head, the horizontal depth of said throat from the vertical face to th socket being less than the vertical depth from the horizontal face,

a ball in said socket, a limb connected to said ball and adapted to swing in said throat, there being a shoulder beneath said limb at a distance from said ball less than the said vertical depth of the throat but greater than the said horizontal depth of the throat, said shoulder being Wider than the throat in one direction and narrowerthan the throat in a direction at right angles to said first direction, whereby the limb 1s held from rotation when in a vertical position in. the threat but may be rotated therein when swung upward to a horizontal position.

HENRY A. DEVLIN.

Witnesses:

JOHN A. Vl/rsonnsnsr1a, N, Bnssmenn; 

